Nasty High-Frequency "ringing"...Any DIY ideas??

H

hippothegreat

New member
Hey All -

I'm using my home studio gear for vocals, mainly for VO stuff. I'm getting a mid-high frequency 'ringing' sound on my recordings that I really have to get rid of....Here's my basic setup:

MXLv67 LDC mic
Realtraps Portable Vocal Booth
ART preamp

I'm using the largest room in the house: rectangular, about 30' x 15'. Floor has thick carpeting, low-ish ceiling, painted walls.

I can't make permanent alterations to the room: Ideally I'd love to be able to build some screens which I can move around the mic/vocalist.

I'm totally unable to afford professionally-built products but am very able at DIY stuff: can anyone suggest a solution please?

Thanks!!!!:o
 
Hi EZ -

Thanks for the reply.

I know I'm being immensely dumb here, but I don't understand....How would I set about finding the source?:confused:

Thanks!
 
does it ring when you VO in that room-no recording?
where in the room are you recording.

need more info ....

try to make a blanket room-without the roof, and 1 wall around the source VO. sing/ VO into the false blanket room with the mic inside.


T
 
Samples of the ringing would help identify it. Is your computer making the noise? Fans? Hard drives? Room ventilation? monitor feedback?
 
Chili said:
Samples of the ringing would help identify it. Is your computer making the noise? Fans? Hard drives? Room ventilation? monitor feedback?
Click to expand...

right. rooms don't just ring. something is creating it. find it and either eliminate or control it.
 
Aaaaah, now I understand!

You're right, I should have been more clear.

It's not noise from an external source (fan, monitor etc), it's an echo from the voice. It's fairly slight, but for VO work it's irritating.

The portable vocal booth has helped, but I need something else.....

I'm considering constructing some screens from OC 703 and arranging them behind the vocalist: therefore the PVB would be in front of the vocalist and the homemade screens behind.

Any idea if this would work? Do I need something over the mic/vocalist as well?

Thanks for any advice!!
 
Is it really an echo or is it a sympathetic vibration of an object in the room?

Is there an acoustic guitar in the room or other object that would vibrate at the frequency you are having trouble with?
 
Stand in the center of the room and clap your hands.

If you hear an echo, that is flutter echo and yes, you will hear it in your recordings.

For VO I would record in a closet full of clothes and add reverb later.
 
c7sus said:
Stand in the center of the room and clap your hands.

If you hear an echo, that is flutter echo and yes, you will hear it in your recordings.
Click to expand...

=)

this was my thoughts exactly.
you could also find the frequency of the ring and make a trap for it....

its better to try to find what is making the ringing noise - it could be the natural resonance of the room, if it is then you need to change the shape of the room (hang a carpet on the wall, with a gap that depends on the frequency will help a lot, also so will helmholtz resonators, but these things need to be worked out with maths =)
 
Excellent, many thanks guys: it is indeed a flutter echo, having tried the things you suggest.

SO: my plan is to build some screens of 703, and take it from there. Hopefully the screens will also allow me some freedom to record in other places, so it's worth the effort I think.

I did indeed try an SM7, just couldn't get enough gain on it.....

Many thanks!
J
 
hippothegreat said:
I did indeed try an SM7, just couldn't get enough gain on it.....
Click to expand...

What? How much gain do you need? If you're recording VO to work in post later on, you only need to record at like -15dBFS. That's probably a huge part of your problem...you've got the preamp cranked to the nines, and the predictable result is that the sensitive condenser mic is picking up every sound in the room.

Frank
 
^^^^^^^^ This is often true.

I'm using my home studio gear for vocals, mainly for VO stuff. I'm getting a mid-high frequency 'ringing' sound on my recordings that I really have to get rid of....Here's my basic setup:
Click to expand...
Maybe it was a poltergeist that in a former life was a radio announcer.
But I'm sure there was a perfectly rational explanation though stranger things have happened.........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top